Do all roads lead to Kennedy?

Everyone is in a tizzy over Caroline Kennedy and while no one can say who is responsible – the media (!), political operatives, PR hype – the Kennedy plane is taking off, and as the hype machine buzzes and churns at ever-higher frequencies, it would become increasingly difficult for Gov. David Paterson to pick someone else (if he ever wanted to in the first place).

Let’s take a look at what we know.

Last Friday, Gov. David Paterson told ABC’s Nightline that he was close to making a decision on who he’d like to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is expected to become Obama’s Secretary of State.

On Monday, the New York Times reports that Kennedy is ready to come out and ask Paterson for the seat.

Monday early afternoon, Paterson says he hasn’t spoken with Kennedy “on that subject.”

A little later that afternoon, Paterson says he’s spoken with her about it.

Notice the absence of objection from Paterson’s camp about Kennedy’s very public, campaigning/ listening-but-not-really-talking-to-press tour. When Cuomo’s name was seeing heavy rotation in the press’s “who will it be” coverage, Paterson aides complained to the New York Times that “they saw Mr. Cuomo’s hand behind the drumbeat of news stories and political chatter proclaiming the attorney general as the only elected official in the state with the stature and popularity to serve effectively as New York’s next senator. That drumbeat was especially frustrating to the governor and his inner circle, the advisers said, given that Mrs. Clinton had not yet been offered the cabinet post, making it difficult for Mr. Paterson to talk publicly about who might replace her.”

You’d think that if he wasn’t heading in that direction, someone would be complaining on his behalf.

Kennedy has retained the public relations firm KnickerbockerSKD, a firm led by two principals with close ties to AG Andrew Cuomo – Josh Isay and Jennifer Cunningham – who have in the past run campaigns for the attorney general. Perhaps I’m overestimating the influence of loyalty in politics, but it would seem to this admittedly naive midwestern gal that it would be a pretty big slap in the face to represent Kennedy if Cuomo wanted the seat. For his part, Cuomo has said he likes his current job, but has consistently left the door open for consideration. But keeping one’s name in speculation (and thus press) never hurts. Besides, Cuomo said saying no to a job before it was offered would be “presumptuous.”